Hush Hush, Incognito
by Tatertotrocks
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia has always dreamed of being a great writer. Step 1: Joining the school paper. But what if her task is...unconventional? Will she be willing to accomplish it? Or more importantly, will she even be able to?
1. Chapter 1 : Assignment

**_Chapter 1: Assignment_**

Lucy adjusted her glasses as she leaned back against her chair. The computer screen in front of her glowed softly in the dim lighting of her bedroom. Hunching forward again, she saved her paper to file and attached it to an email, entering in the address on the sticky note next to her keyboard.

 _journal3jason_

She tapped her fingers against the keys softly, thinking of what she should title it. After typing and back spacing a few idea's, she decided to forgo a title and instead put a short summary in front of the file she had saved to the email.

 _Hi, I'm Lucy Heartfilia. I saw that you guys had an opening in the school paper for a while now, so I've included some of my work in this email to see if maybe I could attain that position. It's a rough draft- let me know what you think!_

 _Lucy H._

She groaned to herself at how stupid she sounded. Why was it that when she was writing a story, the words flowed seamlessly- but when she wanted to send a normal message, she sounded like an illiterate stuttering dork?

Sighing, she just decided to send it. What could the harm be, anyways? It wasn't like she had anything to lose. It had taken her over two years to finally get the courage to send in some of her work to the school newspaper, but she was finally doing it today.

She took a breath and pressed send.

There. Now all she had to do was drop by _The Fairy Tail Times_ journaling office on Monday, and see if they liked her work or not…

Monday just happened to be tomorrow, so Lucy put her computer on stand-by and stood up from the chair, cracking her joints and heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Lucy was the kind of girl in high school who just kind of blended in. Not really any close friends, and no enemies either. She had mostly focused on her grades and writing, rather than her social life, since she had no idea how to make any friends after moving to a new school freshman year. If she didn't have friends, then no one would ask her personal questions. She wouldn't have to tell them about what happened to her mom…

But she was finally deciding to do something with her life- or at least start to. If she could get onto the school paper as a writer, she could get some real life practice for journalism and it would look good on her transcript. Along with all of the honors classes and her 4.0 GPA.

If she _had_ had any friends, they would have noticed that she had the nervous tick of adjusting her glasses when she didn't know what to do with her hands.

As Lucy sat in one of the plastic chairs outside the journaling office, she fidgeted with said spectacles. Then clenching her fist, she brought her hand down and pulled the long sleeves of her sweater over her hands. It wasn't particularly cold outside since it was only fall, but the sweater made her feel as if she had a sense of security- shielding her from any outside-

"Hey! Can I sit here?"

Lucy nearly jumped out of her chair as a cheery voice brought her out of her thoughts. She glanced up to see a toned guy with pink hair grinning at her from his stance about a foot away. He was gesturing to the seat beside her. She nodded slightly and then ducked her hair down to cover her face as she leaned forward and slightly away.

"Sweet, thanks!" He said. The chair creaked as he leaned back and folded his hands behind his head casually, crossing an ankle over one knee.

Usually, Lucy wouldn't really be interested in the going-ons of someone around her, but this guy had _pink_ hair…

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye again, observing his lax position. Was he a troublemaker? Another quick look informed her that in the current outfit he was wearing- a sleeveless tee and sports shorts- he had a very toned body. A jock, then? She then remembered that the journaling office _was_ , in fact, right next to the athletic director's.

"I'm Natsu," he said.

"Lucy," she replied, not looking at him. What was it to him, anyways?

"So…you get caught making out in the hallway or somethin'?"

Lucy swung her gaze back around to meet that of the pink haired boy's. He had green eyes- she noted.

"Uh…" she started softly.

"Vandalize the back wall? Copy and paste Shakespeare for an essay?"

"Er…what?" She asked, thoroughly confused.

"What are you in for?" He grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"I-in?" She repeated.

He nodded towards the journaling offices door, "You're seein' the principal, right? What'd you do to get sent to the office?"

Lucy tilted her head, suddenly understanding, "Oh, this isn't the-"

"Natsu?" Both of them looked up as the name was called. The door to the athletic director's office was open and a muscly man with longer shaggy hair and some scruff leaned out of the doorway. The pink haired boy beside her jumped up, and Lucy flinched at the sudden movement.

"Gildarts!" He called back, and Lucy watched them exchange a hand-shake of some kind before losing interest and turning away. It didn't really concern her anyways. She moved her gaze over to the newspaper office's door just as it opened and a student came out. Lucy stood from her seat and walked over to the door, catching it just as it was about to close.

"Hey, good luck with detention, Luigi!" The pink haired boy shouted over to her just as the door closed behind her. She shook her head and turned back to the room in front of her, where _The Fairy Tail Times_ publisher was sitting at his desk reading something on the computer.

"Um, hello," she said blonde haired man glanced up at her, as if he had just noticed her presence in the room.

"Yeah?" He asked confusedly.

"My name's Lucy Heartfil-"

"Oh! Lucy Heartfilia!" He interjected, eyes widening along with his smile. He stood abruptly from his spot at the desk and rounded it to her, grasping her hand and shaking it forcefully. "It's very nice to meet you! I read your article yesterday and it was amazing! Very nice work."

"Oh, er…thanks," she stuttered out, definitely surprised by his response.

"So," he said, "My name's Jason! You can call me Jason. Now let's get down to business, shall we?" He gestured to a seat across from his as he went to sit back down.

"Okay?" She said questioningly, as she took the seat.

"Now," he started, "You are obviously a very talented writer"-she blushed at this-"but, if I didn't have an uncommon interest in the goings on of the school cafeteria food, I wouldn't have been intrigued by your article."

Lucy's shoulder's slumped, "I see," she said.

"But!" He interjected, back to his happy tone, "If we could channel all of that writing skill of yours into something more mind-gripping, you could be a valuable asset to our newspaper crew."

Lucy bit her lip, tilting her head to the side, "So…what would be more interesting?" She was actually wondering how exciting the daily life of a high school student could get…that's why she had ended up writing about cafeteria food. What more was there?

"I'm glad you asked!" Jason said enthusiastically, "I have just the project! I've been saving it for a while and I think you'd be just perfect for the job!"

"Okay…" Lucy said, her heart pounding- this was actually happening!-"What is it?"

He began to hand her a file he had seemingly pulled out of nowhere, but stopped just as she was about to take it.

"How do you feel about a bit of…inside research?" He asked.

"What kind of research?" She countered nervously.

"Well, this particular article is going to require some extensive knowledge and I'm almost positive you won't be able to get very much unless you have an inside view."

"Okay?" Lucy urged him on.

"Read the portfolio- front page," he waved a hand at her nonchalantly, "I set it up myself."

 _The Inner Workings of a High School Social System_ , she read.

 _Objective: To successfully figure out just what it is that is running the school now-a-days._

 _Suggested Pointers: Infiltration_

"Erm…I don't know about this," she said, "What exactly am I supposed to be infiltrating?"

"Why, the high school hierarchy of course! I'm sure you can figure it out since you seem like a little smartie-pants! Anyways, consider this your first assignment- and if you complete it, we can get you a permanent spot on the team!"

The five minute bell rang in the background, making Lucy glance behind her instinctively before looking back at Jason's grinning face.

"So what do you say?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Lucy gulped.

"I'm in."


	2. Chapter 2: So Undercover

**_Chapter 2: So Undercover_**

Infiltrate the high school hierarchy? She didn't even know where to begin. Should she listen to those two freshman who gossiped by her locker all the time? Maybe they knew something about social stuff…

She sighed, avoiding a few boisterous boys as she made her way to her locker. Freshman probably weren't the best place to find the social facts. A few lockers away she could hear the two girls in question talking about something animatedly.

"She got kicked off the team? No way!" Said the blonde one.

"Uh, yes way!" Said the red-head she was talking to, "And it's the middle of the season and everything! I wonder who they'll get to replace her…"

"Probably like a JV cheer leader or something."

"Well then they might as well pick a random person from the student body, with the talent those girls have…pfft." Lucy shook her head as the girls broke off into giggles. It was a widely known fact that the JV cheerleaders weren't even close to being on par with the skill of the Varsity cheerleaders. It made Lucy actually wonder how they replaced people if they graduated or got kicked off the team. I was true that they could probably pick any random person if they were just going to have to train them anywa-

Lucy froze reaching for a book in her locker.

Any…random person…

Could that mean…?

No way. Lucy shook her head. Like she could ever be a cheer leader. Sure, she could do a cartwheel or two, but a lot of people could do that. Plus, being a cheerleader was a lot more than just being able to cheer, if the chick flicks she watched at home were anything to go by. There was a whole personality that came with it- a style of dress, a social standing.

Oh. Social standing.

She slapped herself in the forehead when she realized that becoming a cheerleader _would_ be the perfect way to infiltrate the high school hierarchy. But did she want to be a journalist bad enough to do that…?

Apparently she did, Lucy thought, when she found herself standing outside the gym after school. She had done a little research and found out that the cheer team had practice here every day after school for an hour and a half. She opened the doors and walked in before she could have a chance to talk herself out of it, before realizing she had no idea what she was supposed to say. Her face burned as she walked up to the cheerleaders practicing on the mats, and one by one they turned to face her curiously. An intimidating one with scarlet colored hair walked up to her, and from her research earlier, Lucy concluded that this was Erza Scarlet, co-captain of the cheer team.

"May I help you?" She inquired, crossing her arms.

"Uh…" Lucy started nervously, "I heard that you…weredownacheerleader…"

"What was that?" Erza asked, "I couldn't understand your mumbling."

"Oh silly Erza!" A bubbly white haired girl said, bouncing up beside her, "Don't scare the girl like that."

Erza turned her head to the side in confusion, "What do you mean, Mira? How am I being scary?"

Mira just shook her head and laughed, turning to Lucy, "You must have heard we have an opening on the cheer squad. You're here to try out, right?" She cocked her head.

"Um…yeah, I guess," Lucy said, fidgeting with her fingers. She was growing more and more uncomfortable as the other cheerleaders came to stand around Erza and Mira.

"What are your skills sets?" Erza inquired.

"My…skill sets?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"How long have you been taking gymnastics, silly," Mira giggled.

Erza waved a hand nonchalantly, "That doesn't matter as much as how strong you are."

Mira frowned, "No, I think it depends more on how much cheer you have," she smiled widely again.

"How powerfully you can toss someone in the air," Erza countered.

"How much hairspray you put in your hair," said Mira.

"Hardly," snorted Erza, "What it really comes down to is-

"Your looks!" Mira interrupted, she began circling Lucy slowly, observing her.

She looked back at Erza, "I think we could make this work!" She beamed.

Erza nodded, "Very well, then."

"Wait, but I haven't even answered your questions…" Lucy trailed off.

"That's okay," Mira said, "We can make _anyone_ into a cheerleader. And luckily, you're cuter than an average girl! This is going to be so much fun!" Mira said, "I can do your hair, and your clothes and-"

"Not so fast," said Erza, and Lucy nearly sighed in relief. Didn't they need a little more to go on before just excepting her onto the team? At least _one_ of the captains was level heade-

"I think Levy should take her," Erza said, "They seem to be a compatible pair."

"Er…what?" Lucy asked.

"It's obvious," Erza answered very matter-of-factly, "By the way you hold your stance, I can tell that you are shy, and you were nervous to come and talk to us- you're fidgeting with your hands- but you did anyways, which means you are brave. You adjust your glasses like one who enjoys to read, and you seem very nice to me."

A brunette girl standing next to Erza cut in, "Plus no one else has even tried to join the team-"

"Anyways," Mira said, with an extra big smile- or was that just her normal smile…? "I guess Levy still needs a turn with RGTC transformation. What do you think, Levy?"

Mira turned to a short, blue-haired girl.

The girl in turn shrugged, "Sure, it sounds like fun," she smiled softly at Lucy and she felt herself feel more at ease. This girl, at least, seemed pretty normal. "Are you free at all this evening, Lucy?"

"Uh, yeah I guess so," Lucy said, "What will we be…doing?" She noticed the other girls were returning to practicing their routine from earlier, leaving Levy behind to talk to her.

Levy shrugged, "Just rudimentary stuff; going through your closet, makeup, hair stuff; discussing cheer rules and the like. It's best to get you started as soon as possible to see if you fit with our group."

"Fit with your group?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," Levy said, "It's customary that we put you through our daily regimen to ensure that you can be a cheerleader. It's not as easy as it sounds, and most of the girls in the school drop out within the first few days since they can't handle it."

"Wait, what?"

Levy turned to her curiously, "Are you new here or something?"

"Um…sort of…" Lucy trailed off.

"Oh," Levy said, "Well, that's probably the reason why you just volunteered to be on the team. You were the only one because most of the other girls in the school have tried and failed after realizing that it's not as easy as they first thought," she paused for a moment, "Are you sure I haven't seen you before? You seem kind of familiar."

"Oh, I'm…not one to really be noticed," Lucy said.

"Well," Levy grinned, "If you want to be a cheerleader, that's _definitely_ gonna change."

Lucy drove her mother's old refurbished VW Bug. It was light blue and well kept- she made sure of that.

"We can definitely make this work. This makes things easier, for sure," said Levy as they approached the car.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. Levy stopped at the rear of the car, doing a quick once while circling around it.

"Yes, this will do very nicely," she glanced up at Lucy, "What car you drive is very important for status. It's a good thing yours already suits the cheerleader type."

"It was my mom's," Lucy said reflexively. Levy nodded, blue chin-length hair bobbing since she had taken out her pony tail.

"Did she cheer?"

"Um…no," Lucy said awkwardly.

"Well, your mom has good taste," Levy said with a smile, "I'll follow you to your house in my car. Lead the way!"

Lucy watched as she skipped a few lanes over to a purple two-seater convertible. _Had_ , she almost corrected. Getting into the bug, she pushed on the break and the clutch before turning the key and switching into reverse. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she glanced in her rearview mirror to see Levy following close behind.

She lived relatively close to the school, but hadn't had a friend over in years- or, well, the entire time she had lived here. Worry about Levy's reaction to her house nagged the front of her mind. She glanced at Levy in the mirror again, noting the detail and obvious class of the car. From the looks of it, the girl was well-off, so she probably wouldn't be too surprised at the mansion that was now viewable a few streets away.

About three right turns and a left turn later, Lucy pulled up onto the flat stone round-about driveway in front of her house, parking a few yards from her door under the car porch . Levy pulled up behind her and parked as well, and Lucy thought of how strange it looked to have any other cars besides her bug and her dad's Bugatti Veyron present there.

"Nice place," Levy said as she walked up to Lucy, beeping her car as she went. She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "Very nice."

"Yeah," Lucy said in response, "My dad's a business owner."

"No kidding," Levy said, admiring the tall stone pillars and nicely manicured lawn. Not to mention the size. It was about ten thousand square feet, which in mansion terms wasn't that big, and certainly not in the world of billionaires. But when you took the boarding amount into consideration, it was quite large. After all, it was just the two of them now that her father had sent all the maids and cooks away.

She unlocked the front door to an dark and quiet entry way, Levy trailing behind her.

"So why haven't any of us met you before?"

"Uh, like I said," Lucy coughed, "I'm newer here."

Levy smirked, "Oh yeah? We keep a good watch on the 'newer' girls this year since the guy count went down. How new are you, exactly?"

Lucy sighed, "I moved here freshman year."

"Wow," Levy said, visibly surprised, "Strange that we've never noticed you before."

"I…like to keep to myself. Mainly spend my time in the library."

"Now that is strange," Levy said, "I spend a lot of time there too, coincidentally. I guess Mira was right in matching me up with you."

"Yeah, I guess. So what was it that she called this again? RB something something?"

Levy snickered, "Yeah, RGTC transformation. Regular Girl To Cheerleader. Since I'm just barely a junior this year, I haven't done one yet. Lisanna did me- but she's the only Junior to have done one already, I think cause her sister is co-captain probably."

"Lisanna?"

"Strauss?" Levy said as they began walking up a long flight of stairs that wound up to the next floor. She took in Lucy's confused expression. "Wow. You really don't know anything about the hierarchy at this school."

Lucy shrugged, her cheeks turning red. It wasn't that Levy had said it in a mean way- more just an honestly flabbergasted way. And when she thought about it, Lucy realized it was sort of weird that she didn't really know anything about the social system, considering she had been at the school for two years now.

They came to a stop on the third floor, in front of a plain light pink door.

"Don't worry," Levy said as Lucy opened the door to her bedroom, "You seem smart, it won't be hard for you to lea- oh. my. gosh." She stopped in her tracks.

Levy continued on into the room, looking behind her at the shell shocked girl.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, watching the girl as her eyes flitted to the balcony window, to the four poster bed, to the walk in closet, and then the rest of the room before settling on her.

"This is your _room_?"

"Er…yes?"

"It's like a friggin' fairy tail! And that book shelf!" She scurried over to it, "Amazing!"

Lucy sat on her bed and watched as Levy flitted around the room, admiring every little thing she passed. The ballet trophies, to the music box on her vanity, to the vanity mirror itself, and everything else in the room. Then finally she flopped on the bed next to her and stared up at the shiny pink cloth that blocked her view of the ceiling.

"Okay, freakout done," Levy said, sitting back up almost immediately, "Let's get down to business." She ran to the closet and flung the doors open wide, "Horrify me!"

Lucy watched her slowly turn to look her up and down, and then look back at the closet.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"How is it," Levy quipped slowly, "That you dress like a mom, when you have all of _this_ in your wardrobe?" She gestured to the closet. Lucy stood up and walked over to stand beside her. On the right side were the clothes that Lucy normally wore…but on the left, was a collection of shiny, form fitting, stylish, and still tagged outfits that came from a subscription she was measured for each month by a designer company her dad worked with. Just a bunch of free clothes that she would never wear, at least, not anymore.

"I guess I just never…got around to it?"

"Well," Levy drawled, "We've got a _long_ evening ahead of us."


End file.
